


As the Sky's Falling Down

by ThilboBagginshield



Category: The Hobbit, The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bilbo lives in Erebor, Established Relationship, M/M, Post BoFA, Post-Battle of Five Armies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-10
Updated: 2014-01-10
Packaged: 2018-01-08 04:59:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1128614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThilboBagginshield/pseuds/ThilboBagginshield
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A run-in with Wargs on the road proves tragic for Thorin. What will he do, when things fall away?</p>
            </blockquote>





	As the Sky's Falling Down

**Author's Note:**

> My second Hobbit fanfic! Hope you enjoy!

They were ambushed when they were a day away from the Iron Hills, on their way back to Erebor from a meeting with Dain. Thorin and Bilbo were in front, Fili and Kili behind them, with Dwalin taking up the rear. They were riding their ponies along a cliff edge when the Orcs and Wargs came from over the hills and quickly surrounded them. The dwarves and Bilbo quickly took up arms, and were soon separated as the wargs jumped in between them, but they were all holding their own, even Bilbo, who had been taught to properly wield his “letter opener.”

A warg soon cornered Bilbo on the brink of the cliff. Bilbo, forgetting his surroundings, swung at the beast in front of him and stumbled back when it lashed out. Quickly loosing his footing, he twirled his arms around trying to regain his balance. Sting dropped out of his hand as he fell backward off the cliff.

Thorin watched in horror as Bilbo disappeared. “BILBO!” He ran over to the cliff side, quickly dispatching the Warg, and fell onto his stomach, leaning over the edge of the cliff.

Bilbo was there, holding on to the cliffside with his hands, his feet dangling below him. Thorin noticed the raging waters of the river below.

“Bilbo! Grab my hand!” Thorin said, reaching down to Bilbo. They were not even close to touching. Thorin scooted forward more and tried to grab the flailing hobbit. “Bilbo, reach!” Bilbo tried to reach forward but began to lose his grip, falling down a bit farther. “No!” Thorin lurched forward, almost falling himself, if it wasn't for the strong grip now around his ankles. He turned and saw Dwalin there, who nodded at Thorin before he turned back to Bilbo. Dwalin carefully lowered Thorin closer to Bilbo. Just as he was about to grab the hobbit's wrist, the rocks loosened and Bilbo fell.

“NOOOOO!!! BILBO!!” Thorin screamed as he watched Bilbo fall. Bilbo, his eyes wide and terrified, flailed his arms and feet, but he quickly splashed into the river below, disappearing from Thorin's sight.

“Bilbo!!!” Thorin shouted again. He tried to launch himself off the cliff but Dwalin held him tight, pulling him back up. “Let me go! I have to go get him!”

“No! You can't! If you jump of this cliff you will die!” Dwalin yelled back, desperate to talk sense into his king.

“Bilbo will die if I don't! He can't swim!”

“Thorin! He's probably already dead. Did you not see the rocks down there? Or how fast the rapids were moving? He's gone. I'm sorry.”

Thorin stopped struggling against Dwalin at those words. He slowly slumped to the ground and looked back over the side of the cliff. There was no sign of his beloved hobbit. Thorin put his hands in his hair and screamed. Dwalin stood there and watched Thorin break down. It reminded Dwalin of Moria, when he came across Thorin holding his little brother in his arms.

“Uncle!”

“Uncle are you wounded!?”

Fili and Kili ran over and knelt by their Uncle, their hands pushing away at clothing, looking for wounds. Thorin looked up, eyes red and bloodshot.

“Uncle?” Fili asks quietly.

“Bilbo... he... fell. He's gone....” Thorin choked out.

“Gone? I don't understand...?” Kili said.

Thorin quietly pointed a shaking finger towards the cliff and looked away as the color drained from his nephews faces. Kili ran over to the side and looked down. After a moment, the archer quietly came back over to his brother and uncle. Fili looked at him and Kili shook his head, burying his face in his brothers shoulder and started to sob. Fili looked at his brother and uncle, tears streaming down his face as well.

After a moment, Dwalin spoke, in a voice gruffer than normal “We need to head back. We can still make it back to the mountain before nightfall.”

Fili and Kili started to move, but then stopped when Thorin didn't budge.

“Uncle?”

When Thorin finally moved and showed his face, Thorin looked older than he was. His movements were slow. His face was hollow. He walked past the group and back to the side of the cliff. He stood there for a moment before moving back towards the three. He silently walked passed his nephews and best friend, and climbed onto his pony. He then started riding slowly back towards the mountain. Fili, Kili, and Dwalin slowly followed him, none saying a word, leading Bilbo's pony behind them.

 

* * *

 

They reached Erebor by dusk and gave the ponies to the guards stationed at the entrance. Dis and Balin met them when they were inside.

“Thorin! Glad to have you back, how was the meeting with Dain?” Balin spoke.

“Thorin?” Dis asked, when she saw her brother's face.

Without a word Thorin walked away and headed up to the royal wing, his family and friends staring after him.

Dis turned to her sons. “What happened? Where's Bilbo?”

They were both quiet until Kili spoke. “Uncle...Uncle Bilbo fell.”

Dis gasped and her hand flew to her mouth.

Dwalin spoke next, his gruff voice giving away his grief: “He fell off a cliff in front of Thorin. We weren't able to reach him. He was swept away by the river.”

Balin and Dis were quiet, tears welling in both their eyes. Slowly, they all looked towards the royal wing, where they knew their king was grieving for his beloved Consort.

* * *

Soon after Thorin's retreat, the rest of the Company gathered in Dis' chambers.

“I have some very grave news to share with you this evening.” She began.

“Shouldn't we wait for Bilbo and Thorin to join us?” Bofur asked.

“They will not be joining us tonight.” Dis said. “That is why I called this meeting. On their way home from the Iron Hills, my brother and sons, as well as Dwalin and Bilbo, were ambushed by Orcs and wargs.” Some members of the company's eyes started to widen as they took in what Dis said. “Bilbo was cornered at the edge of the cliff, and a warg pushed him over the edge. My brother tried to reach for him, but he fell into the rapids of the river below.”

By now most of the Company, including Dis, had tears coming down their faces. Gloin and Oin stood there with their mouths agape. Dori, eyes red, held on to a weeping Ori. Bofur, who was closest to Bilbo, excluding the royal family, removed his hat and slumped down in the corner, and started sobbing. Nori soon joined him, and put his arm around his shoulder.

“What are we going to do, Lady Dis?” squeaked Ori, looking up from his eldest brother's shoulder. “We are going to leave Thorin alone for a bit, but we will have a remembrance ceremony for Bilbo.”

* * *

Days turned into weeks and the King Under the Mountain did not leave his room. The night of Bilbo's fall, he had ordered a group of soldiers to go to the river and recover his husbands body, but they were unsuccessful. Since he lost his Consort, Thorin barely ate and never slept. All he saw when he closed his eyes was the look of terror on his beloved Bilbo's face as he fell towards the river. Fili, with the help of Dis and Balin, took over Thorin's duties until his uncle was well again, though no one knew when that would be.

Thorin sat in his room by the window, staring out at the plains and the city of Dale. Past that, you could see the Long Lake and Esgaroth, though he was not really seeing them. His face gaunt, with deep bags under his eyes, Thorin sat in his grief.

That night, a silent shadow crept along the side of the mountain. The figure stopped to look at a newly crafted statue, facing west, taking in the statues large feet and pointed ears. The shadow shook it's head and continued onwards to quickly slip pass the guards and move inside the fortress kingdom, not making a sound. It traveled up the stairs and into the royal wing. The being crept into the chambers of the King and stopped the entrance of the room. It moved over to wear the King still sat, with his back to the door,, silhouetted by the light of the moon coming in the window.

“Thorin.” the form walked towards the dwarf, who hadn't moved, nor shown any inclination that he heard the person now approaching him.

“Thorin” the person whispered, reaching a hand out and touching his cheek. The King started and turned towards the being in his room, his eyes slowly widened, but then he shook his head.

“No. No, you can't be here. Go away and leave me in peace. Leave me with my memories.” Thorin spoke for the first time in many days, his voice dry and hoarse.

The form stepped more into the light shining from the moon, it was Bilbo, but paler than he was when Thorin last saw him. He had cuts along the sides of his face, along with a nasty gash on his temple. His ankle was swollen and red.

“Thorin, I am here. I'm real.” The form of Bilbo said.

“NO! You are not! I saw him fall! I saw him disappear into the water! You are not him." There was a pause. "You are not my beloved, who I failed to save...” Thorin choked out, fresh tears streaming down his face.

“If I am not real, then how can I touch you?”

“It just my mind remembering your touch.”

“Oh, for goodness sake, Thorin! I am here! I am alive! I didn't walk all this way, which wasn't easy thank you very much, to return to find a grumpy dwarf who won't believe what is in front of him!” Bilbo yelled waving his arms around as he spoke.

Thorin shook his head and stared out the window again, no longer speaking or looking at the apparition of his husband next to him, as much as he wished to. Bilbo gave him a “Hmph!” of exasperation before heading to their bed and climbing in it, falling asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

* * *

 

The sun rose slowly and shined inside the King's Chambers. The door creaked open and footsteps entered the room. There was a gasp, and a loud clatter. Thorin whipped around and saw his sister staring at his bed, with her hands to her mouth and the tray of breakfast on the floor at her feet. Thorin followed Dis' gaze to his bed, where the form of Bilbo from the night before was now sitting up in the bed, woken by the crashing noise.

“Bilbo! Bilbo you're alive!” Dis ran over to the hobbit and dragged him into her arms.

“Disss, you're crushing....me.” Bilbo tried to squeak out. “As much as I am glad that _someone_  believes I exist, I still need to breathe.”

Dis let go of Bilbo and held him at arms length. “Someone? You mean..” Dis was cut off by the sound of Thorin getting out of his chair. They both turned towards Thorin to find him still staring at them. He slowly approached the bed, and with a shaking voice spoke. “Dis, you can see him too? He's not just my mind playing tricks on me in the night?”

“Oh, you idiot brother of mine.” Dis grabbed her brothers arm and pulled him over to the bed. “He is there, Thorin. Bilbo is alive.”

Thorin reached forward and touched his palm to Bilbo's cheek. “Bilbo?” The hobbit nods, tears starting to fall from his eyes. “Bilbo...” Thorin reached forward and enveloped his husband in his arms, not noticing as Dis left the room. Bilbo hugged back as much as he could, until the need to breathe arose (again). “Thorin, I can't breathe. You're just like your sis...” Bilbo was cut off by a pair of lips crashing down on his. Bilbo kissed back and wound his arms around Thorin's neck.. He smiled into the kiss, and relaxed.

He was home.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!!


End file.
